WASYLBRYTAN wrote:I have been complaining about the low capacity of my battery and wishing that I could get longer range but I came across another idea which I am working on. If I can find the right configuration of triathlon aero bars to fit my Whistler I may be able to improve my aerodynamics and increase my range that way. I have found several cheap units from China but their clamp sizes do not seem to match my handlebars. Bill

Just a suggestion, upgrade your stem and handlebars at the same time. Something like an Easton EA70 bar. Does the whistler have an adjustable stem? If it does, by now you have learned what angle you like for a stem. A one piece stem is stronger and lighter. If you wish to remain with an adjustable stem, there is the Ritchey adjustable. I am going to spring for the upgrade, not that the factory components are bad, on the contrary, it is nice to have been able to find the position that I wanted. The drop bars are a VERY GOOD idea in my opinion.
I have a front basket, I'll have to work out the details of that as the drop bars will interfere. The basket is on a quick release, perhaps I could find drop bars that were as well.

HOLY ---- !! IT WORKS!! I set mine for a 16" wheel and I could feel more power all round. It was too windy to get truly maximum speed but I definitely felt a difference plus more battery drain. I calculated that I can add 62.5% to whatever maximum speed I observe at the 16" setting. I observed a maximum speed registered of 25.9 kph + 62.5% = 42kph without running out of assist power. If we combine this with my aero bars idea we should have a deadly combination(literally). DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS Bill

WASYLBRYTAN wrote:HOLY ---- !! IT WORKS!! I set mine for a 16" wheel and I could feel more power all round. It was too windy to get truly maximum speed but I definitely felt a difference plus more battery drain. I calculated that I can add 62.5% to whatever maximum speed I observe at the 16" setting. I observed a maximum speed registered of 25.9 kph + 62.5% = 42kph without running out of assist power. If we combine this with my aero bars idea we should have a deadly combination(literally). DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS Bill

LOL, awesome! I was from theory, you have proved the theory! If you want, you can always add on a cycle computer to the front wheel for registering true speed and mileage.

I had a great chance to do some speed measurements today. I took a speed reading off my bike of 28.4kph + 62.5% = 46kph. At the same time I was doing this I went through one of those radar signs which clocked me at 44kph. We now know the maximum speed which can be generated by this motor. On the way home I had quite a strong headwind. Putting my elbows down to the grips enabled me to pedal 3kph faster with no apparent change in effort. It will be difficult to find room on my handlebars to mount a set of aero bars but it will be well worth it to do so. Right now, the available place on my handlebars has a 28mm diameter and it will be hard to find clamps of thiat size. Once I do, though, I will have quite the Superbike. Bill

Today was a little windier and I discovered something new. Unless conditions are perfect, ie no wind or a tailwind, it is very difficult to exceed 35+kph, regardless of what the settings permit. It is either too hard to pedal any faster, or the gearing is not high enough, or the little motor just does not have enough power. So our experiment was fun and informative without any real practical value. Maybe it is all for the best anyway; modifying e-bikes for speed and power is just asking for legal trouble eventually.

On another note, I added a pair of bar ends and faced them backward to simulate handgrips farther back than the handlebars. This has the effect of virtually moving the handlebars back for a more comfortable upright position. I then wrapped memory foam around the bar ends and held it in place with vinyl electrical tape. This provides me with a little comfort and padding if I want to rest my elbows for a more aero position. This may not be as effective as aero bars but it is much cheaper.

Ultimately, what I love most about E-PRODIGY E-Bikes is the variety of choices to adjust and tune the bike to my comfort and specifications. Also, durability wise, I don't hear about many e-bikes which have my mileage and are still like new. I have put at least 5 years worth of use on it in 14 months and I think that says a lot about quality and durability. I don't think the exotic European E-bikes have anything on my Whistler except double the price. Bill

After much research, I am sticking with the stock components. The bars and brakes are better than what come with most ebikes. The only thing I took off the bike was the saddle, and there was nothing inherently wrong with it, just had to have a Brooks leather saddle. Purchased a B72, no complaints. Still stick the stock seat on when it's raining.
I looked into aftermarket levers as well, but the tektro system it was delivered with are almost as good as the Avids. The Tektro has a motor cut off built into the brake lever which is nice for low speed maneuvering.
The Tektro mechanical disk as supplied is more stopping power than I ever had, I think they are great.

zanedog wrote:I tried to send you a PM but it says your account is no longer available? Whats up? you OK?
Wasy?

I keep my speedo set for the wheels I have on the bike 700c, I don't need to go faster than the stock speed limit.

Everything is working wonderful on the bike, have my trekking bars in, will install them tomorrow.

And I couldn't resist getting a monkey light for the front wheel, just put it on and went for a ride on the dark snowy streets lol, too cool The Monkey Light has impressed me.

Everything is ok with me. I returned an answer to your pm but I guess you didn't get it. I don't know how those things work. I got my bike set up so that is nearly as comfortable as one of my recumbents and I have spent all my available time riding. I bought the bar ends for $15. and taped some scrap foam to them to build little platforms for my elbows. I experimented with the back and forth seat position and seat height and got them just right. I wish I had done this sooner. Meanwhile I am first in line to test the 450 watt motor when it arrives but it is unexpectedly delayed. I'm dying to see the top speed that the more powerful motor will pull. I'm also thinking of a way to be able to keep the motor when I am finished testing it. I am not a speed demon; I do most of my riding at level 2&3 but I like to have the option when conditions are right. Bill

greenstuff wrote:After a long winter and charging the battery every couple months I finally put it back on the bike and... dead. Picked up a new lithium for the J-LCD and... bike's still dead. Pulled on and checked every wire, everything looks in order. Plugged/unplugged battery, on and off, plugged in on the bike and not plugged in, and still nothing.
Anyone out there have any suggestions on what could be wrong?
And what's up with the battery lights on the top? There are a few and I have one that's always red, one that's off, and the rest are green. What does that mean?
I can't figure out how to troubleshoot this bike at all.

The lights on the main battery pack indicate the state of charge. Yours looks like it has plenty of charge.
I'd say you have done the basic troubleshooting. The J-LCD does not turn on when you hold down mode button for three seconds? You have already taken the main battery pack off out and put it back in. Unless you are experienced with using a multimeter, time for a trip to the bike shop. Follow up and let us know what the cause of the problem and the fix for it is please.
Perhaps some one else has better advice on this issue.

edit: found this post a couple pages back.
OK, I just figured it out. When I switched off the switch at the base of my battery and then switched it back on, my J-LCD would not switch on, just like yours. I connected the charger and plugged it in and the J-LCD switched on fine. I then disconnected the charger and everything works ok. As long as the base battery switch is left on, the lcd works. I don't know why this happens, but it works for me. But that still does not explain why the lcd just went off while you were riding, unless the main switch somehow got switched off. Bill

WASYLBRYTAN

Thanks for this - fyi, here's the resolution to my problem: I couldn't figure out why it wasn't turning on anymore so I dropped it off at the store and they determined the battery itself had a fault and was no longer reporting the right amount out to the rest of the bike even though it was fully charged... so they replaced my battery for me and I'm back up and running! Changed the button in the lcd panel too, for good measure.

Hi WASYLBRYTAN ! A week ago, I discovered eProdigy Bikes and that kept my attention until I got some opinions from different people that mid-drive (Coaxial Bottom-Bracket Motor) bikes last shorter because the mechanism can wear out faster. Then, after reading your posts, I saw that around 3000km, you had to change the cassette/bearings. At 5000km, the crank fell off. Usually, the problem is the battery but so far, it was the mechanism. So, is it safe to buy from this company (I would look for the Logan because of the fenders) if I plan to use this bike for the next 5 years (globally for commuting, 30 km, 5 days a week, 6 months during the year including any kind of weather, so approximately 3000km per year)?

Quick questions :

1. Do you need to pedal first and then you can use the throttle ?
2. Is the small LCD monitor can be removed when bike is locked to a bike stand ?
3. Can you recharge the battery when pedalling ?
4. Any news about the 450w motor ?

fogman_white wrote:Hi WASYLBRYTAN ! A week ago, I discovered eProdigy Bikes and that kept my attention until I got some opinions from different people that mid-drive (Coaxial Bottom-Bracket Motor) bikes last shorter because the mechanism can wear out faster. Then, after reading your posts, I saw that around 3000km, you had to change the cassette/bearings. At 5000km, the crank fell off. Usually, the problem is the battery but so far, it was the mechanism. So, is it safe to buy from this company (I would look for the Logan because of the fenders) if I plan to use this bike for the next 5 years (globally for commuting, 30 km, 5 days a week, 6 months during the year including any kind of weather, so approximately 3000km per year)?

Quick questions :

1. Do you need to pedal first and then you can use the throttle ?
2. Is the small LCD monitor can be removed when bike is locked to a bike stand ?
3. Can you recharge the battery when pedalling ?
4. Any news about the 450w motor ?

Thanks !

Guy (Ottawa)

The problems with the bearings and the crank were defects which have been changed and improved. My Whistler was still the first generation and since I ride so much they are using my bike as a test case to iron out the bugs. The flaws have been corrected obviously, since tomorrow I will break 18,000 kilometres without any further problems.

You can use the throttle with or without pedaling. You do not need to remove the control panel since you can switch it off and it will not do anything if someone tries to switch it on. Regenerative braking is only available on gearless hub motors. I have never heard of one on a mid drive. I am anxious to try the 450 watt as well but no news yet. If you are wondering about other durability issues with the motor I can tell you that mine has successfully climbed Mt. Seymour twice without so much as overheating. You may have heard how Pike's Peak destroys e-bikes, well, Seymour is just as steep, average 7% grade but it is one third shorter, 13km as opposed to 20.

18,000 kilometres in 462 days of ownership should answer your question about how long the motor will last. Bill

I rented one of those on a little vacation up in Vancouver BC a few weeks ago. It was a hoot. Felt like a quality mountain bike, but just when it starts to feel like work, you get a little kick from the motor and off you go. It's like performance enhancing drugs without the strange hair growth and mood swings.

I'm sorry, it should work, I don't know why it is not working for you. This is the first time I have posted a photo and I really don't know everything about it. Anyway, Google "upper wheel fairing" to find out about the technology I used. Bill

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 5647_o.jpg
This is the picture of my bike you requested. This contraption I made with pie plates and duct tape is called an upper wheel fairing. It so far has increased my battery range and top speed. The technology around it is amazing and it works.

I did another test of the new technology today. Before I bought my Whistler I rode a manual recumbent bicycle which is lightweight and aerodynamic. If I rode as hard as I could I averaged just a bit less than 20kph for an entire 100 kilometres. For that reason, my standard setting on my Whistler is level 3 assistance level with a maximum speed setting of 20. This simulates my real riding but it hardly makes me use any effort as opposed to riding very hard. The best I ever did under these conditions on the Whistler was 88 kilometres to a battery charge. Today, with my wheel fairing, I did not have too much time before it started pouring rain but I rode 27 kilometres and used less than one quarter of my battery charge. That works out to a 23% increase in range; hardly a scientific test, but not bad for pie plates and duct tape eh?

I received my Whistler yesterday. Unfortunately, the bike is damaged (scratchs) at some places. The box was in perfect state so I guess it was damaged before the transport. There's also some grease/stain that I was not able to remove on the front of the frame. I have few problems with the brakes (too tight) on both wheels (I tried to adjust them as loose as possible but I think I will have to go to a bike shop because they are still too tight) and then I found out that the little sensor on the rear wheel needs to be really well adjusted to have the speed on the J-LCD (because I had no speed reading). About the J-LCD, the small battery is dead so it doesn't keep the settings. I tried to change the max speed over 32 km/h with 26' wheel and the max I got (in my basement) was 25 km/h... I'm waiting support from eProdigy.

Sorry to hear about the problems you are having. Whenever you purchase a bike online it is a good idea to have it professionally adjusted by someone familiar with the bike. Good luck to you and keep us informed about your progress. Bill